1. On November 4, the Office of Timor-Leste President
Ramos-Horta released the following statement on the U.S.
Presidential elections.

2. Begin text:

President of the Republic and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Josi
Ramos-Horta, congratulated today the president-elect of the
United States, Barack Obama, and the American people for the
historical election of an Afro-American from a humble background
to hold office as President of the United States.

President Ramos-Horta said:

The election of Senator Barack Obama is a turning point in
American history as it shows that American society has moved
away from the racial discrimination and exclusion of the past.

For Afro-Americans and Africans in general, sons and daughters
of slaves, the election of Barack Obama is the triumph of
freedom and justice, the end of centuries of indignities and
humiliation, the liberation of all humanity.

President-elect Barack Obama is a man of outstanding qualities
both as a human being and a statesman and I believe he will be a
president of the historical stature of a John F. Kennedy,
successfully confronting the challenges facing the United States
and the world in our time.

While it is obvious that the new American president has to
address as a matter of urgency the financial catastrophe
provoked by greed, incompetence and irresponsibility of American
corporate CEO's, it is also fundamental that the United States
leads the fight against extreme poverty by increasing aid to
developing countries, opening up its internal markets and ending
agriculture subsidies, as I have stated on a number of occasions.

At the same time, on foreign policy I hope that the new American
administration will immediately lift the trade embargo and
sanctions on Cuba. The 40 year economic blockade and trade
embargo by the world's superpower against a small island-nation
is immoral and politically unwise as it does not forge peaceful
changes. The new President must take serious steps to
accelerate the resolution of the Palestinian conflict leading to
a permanent and viable Palestinian state within the framework of
a two-state solution agreed upon by all parties concerned.

The new American president must realize that the era of American
and European supremacy is over and should take steps to build a
new and stable international framework by inviting China, India,
Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico to join the G8 and by
leading the process of reform of the United Nations that would
include the expansion of the Security Council with new permanent
members such as India, Indonesia and Japan, for Asia, Egypt and
South Africa, for Africa, and Brazil and Mexico, for the
Americas. These are crucial tests for the new president of the
United States.

To president elect Barack Obama, his wife Michelle, their
children and the rest of his family and close friends I extend
my warm congratulations. I also congratulate the American people
for this historical event.

Also, my congratulations to Senator John McCain for his
courageous fight as well his integrity and humanity.

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